HeavenBound Farm Dressage Show

After not doing my due diligence and missing the deadline to enter my first scores for the USDF Regional Schooling Show Awards--which meant I was no longer able to do just the two remaining shows hosted by my GMO that fit into my schedule since you need three shows--I was on the hunt for the elusive third show. 

Fortunately I saw a posting on FB that someone else within five hours had gotten qualified.

Unfortunately it was three hours away.

At this point, whatever. Clearly I cannot get a 60% at 2-3 to save my life which means I won't get either of the year end awards from my GMO. Gotta try to scrape up a ribbon somewhere, right?! So bright and early Saturday morning we loaded up the trailer and headed south to PA.

GPS, of course, took us up a giant fucking mountainside to get there but it was easy to find and they got us checked in and parked no problem. Opie was a bit tense and spooky in their indoor to start as it was kind of dark and the mirrors were a bit wonky, but I wanted my only goal for warm up to be suppleness. If I didn't get him relaxed, there was no point in doing the test. AS I'VE LEARNED THE HARD WAY.

Mission accomplished and we wrapped up with some sitting trot where I was able to get a little bit of SI even. Maybe we could put in a real Second Level test for once?

Second Level Test 2

We were able to do a quick warm up inside the ring since there wasn't room to go around the outside. This was good for Opie because he immediately started llama-ing and tensing up at the new scenery. Fortunately by the time she rang the bell he was settled again.

We started off feeling okay. The judge thought so, too, and gave us a couple 7s and lots of 6s. 5.5 for the first medium trot, but hysterically an 8 for the final one up the center line. I can't read the scribe's writing for shit, but a 6 for the first TOH and a 5 for the second one.

don't you dare cross behind, fucker.

Then we hit the canter and shit just went off the rails. It was a horrible, shitty canter. Head wag, zero collection, zero energy, dumped on his fucking face, etc ect. She should have given me a 2 for the first simple change as he splatted into this strung out trot and I was like, "No, fuck you, sir. This is a schooling show, get a schooling moment." and I sat him on his ass and halted him before picking up the canter again. 

I wrapped up feeling very disappointed. Glad for the relaxation, but frustrated with the lack of everything else. Final score a generous 62%. "Accurately ridden test. Rider needs to support and develop improved engagement and lightness without wagging head." Gotta love that the head wag has returned in full force.

We had a little break where I left him saddled but he got to hang out at the trailer stuffing his face with alfalfa before heading back up to warm up. He was done being spooky in the indoor so I went right to work trying to fix the canter.

Nope, it was still shit. Falling over his shoulder, disengaged, head wag galore, and on and on. I had forward, I had relaxation, I could not get anything else.

Second Level Test 3

Things felt okay in this test. I guess at this point if we just go around and do the things in the spots without a blow up, I think we've done quite alright. Judges do not agree lol. To be fair, the medium trot was gone and I had nothing left to offer because I'm fat and out of shape and inherently lazy. As such none of the trot work scored above a 6. Actually we didn't even score a 6 for anything but transitions. 4s for TOH, and the free walk doesn't exist anymore either.

We basically flip-flopped scores on 2-2 and 2-3. Shit canter for the first test to better canter scores this test while bombing the trot work. Final score 58%. "While this pair demonstrates basic obedience for this test, they need to develop more engagement to support a quieter contact." Yup.

Honestly the judge was spot on with her final comments on how I felt with my final feelings. We're just not there. We've literally gone backwards in quality of work instead of improving. And I want to go backwards and strip everything down to the beginning and start over. Clearly the core basics have slithered off somewhere and neither of us can be bothered to hunt them down and use them at the moment. If I hadn't already paid for these next two shows, I wouldn't do them. (Although this upcoming weekend is the HT so that's the most basic of dressage and yay, fun jumping!)

At this point, I've got the attitude of suffer through what's left knowing I'm not going to score well--and by well I mean 60%--and then bring on a revamp/overhaul/remedial party.